Want to make your own Digital Movie Boards banners? This guide covers recommended workflows, tools, and resources to help you design static or animated banners for use on your DMB.
Banners are landscape-style images, GIFs, or videos that appear above, below, or alongside posters—perfect for titles, taglines, visuals, and motion effects.
Start With the Right Size
Before designing, choose the banner type and resolution:
Top Banner
- 2160 × 370 px (4K)
- 1080 × 185 px (HD)
Bottom Banner
- 2160 × 230 px (4K)
- 1080 × 115 px (HD)
Summary Banner
- 2160 × 1110 px (4K)
- 1080 × 555 px (HD)
Tip: Design at 4K first, then scale down to HD for best quality.
Designing Your Banners
Image Design Software
Free
- GIMP – Powerful Photoshop alternative (Windows / macOS / Linux)
- Krita – Great for stylized art and painting
- Photopea – Browser-based Photoshop-like editor (no install)
Paid
- Adobe Photoshop – Industry standard for image editing
- Affinity Photo – One-time purchase, excellent performance
- Pixelmator Pro (macOS) – Clean UI and fast workflow
Animated & Motion Graphics Tools
Free
- Blender – Excellent for animated graphics, text, and effects
- DaVinci Resolve – Free version supports motion graphics and video banners
- GIMP + GIF tools – For simple animated GIF banners
Paid
- Adobe After Effects – Best-in-class motion graphics & animation
- Adobe Premiere Pro – Video-based animated banners
- Apple Motion – Great option for macOS users
Export animated banners as MP4 or GIF depending on your setup and performance needs.
Online / Web-Based Tools
Beginner-Friendly
- Canva (Free / Pro) – Easy templates, drag-and-drop design, animated exports supported
Advanced
- Jitter – Great for animated designs and collaboration
- VistaCreate – Canva alternative with motion support
Helpful Assets & Resources
- Google Fonts – Free, high-quality fonts
- DaFont – Decorative and themed fonts (check licenses!)
- Unsplash / Pexels – Free stock imagery
- The Movie Database (TMDB) – Inspiration for branding styles
- Color Hunt / Coolors – Color palette generators
Design Tips for DMB Banners
- Keep text large and readable from a distance
- Avoid placing important elements near the very top/bottom edges
- Use subtle motion—less is often more (unless you like crazy animation!)
- Match banner colors to the poster or movie theme
- Test your banner on your actual DMB display before sharing
Share Your Work
Once you’ve created a banner, feel free to share it with others!:
- Post it in this category with the banner type, resolution, and format
- Share source files if you’re open to remixes
- Credit tools or assets used
- Encourage feedback or improvements
This category thrives on collaboration—whether you’re a beginner using Canva or a power user animating in After Effects, your contributions help everyone’s boards look better 
